Grapnel-tongs



(No Model.)

T. s. DAVIS. GRAPNEL TONGS.

No. 390,758. Patented Oct. 9, 1888.

E l -l-E! WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @TETQE.

THOMAS J. S. DAVIS, OF DAVIS \VHARF, VIRGINIA.

GRAPNEL-TONGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,758, dated October9, 1888.

Application .filed February 21, 1888. Serial No. 264,731. (No mcdelJ Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. S. DAVIS, of Davis Wharf, in the county ofAccomack and State of Virginia, have invented new and ImprovedGrapnel-Tongs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of the invention is to provide new and improved grapnel tongsspecially adapted for conveniently loosening and raising oysters in deepor shallow water.

The invention consists of two rakes adapted to swing toward and fromeach other, and of racks connected with said rakes, a gear-wheel, adrum, and ropes for operating the said racks and rakes.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details andcombinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the improvement, showing the rakes insection. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation ofthe same on the line as00 of Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the improvement on theline y y of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the arms supporting thetongs at their pivotal ends.

The improved grapnel-tongs A are provided with the two rakes B B, eachof which is pro vided with the points B and with the longitudinal barsB, united at their ends to each other and to the bar carrying thepoints, so as to form a basket open at its ends when the two rakes B andB are closed. The rakes B and B are slightly curved, as is plainly shownin Fig. 1,and are secured in their middles to the lower ends of the arms0 and O, pivotally connected at their upper ends with the frame D,provided in its middle with a downwardly-extending arm, E, carrying nearits lower end a bracket,

-E, in which is mounted to rotatea shaft, F, car

rying a gear-wheel,F, meshing into the racks G and G, respectively, onthe top and bottom of the said gear-wheel F.

The racks G and G are curved, having as a center the intersection of thearms 0 and O, to which opposite ends of the said racks G and G arepivotally secured, as shown in Figs. 1

through an eye, K, formed on the side of the frame D. A second rope, L,is fastened by one end to the lower part of the arm-O and then extendshorizontally across to the, arm 0, passes under a pulley, N, mounted torotate on the said arm 0, and then the rope L extends up ward from thesaid pulleyNto an eye, 0, held on the downwardlyextending arm E, securedto the frame D. The rope L then passes upward through an eye, 1 formedon the other side of the frame D.

On thearm G is secured an outwardly-extending plate, Q, which serves asa rudder for the entire device, said rudder Q being at right angles tothe rakes B and B. The latter can be made of various sizes, so as tohold, when closed, any desired amount of oysters.

The operation is as follows: The ropes L and J are of such a length asto reach to the bottom of the water in which the rakes are to beused,and the operator lets the device down into the water from a boat orother vessel by taking hold of the said ropes L and J. When the points Bof the rakes B and B strike the oyster-bed, the operator pulls on therope J, thereby turning the drum I in the direction of the arrow ct, sothat a rotary motion is imparted to the gear-wheel F, which, on accountof meshing into the racks G and G, causes the latter to travel inopposite directions and outward, whereby the arms 0 and C also swingoutward from their pivotal points on the frame D, so that the rakes Band B are opened. The points B of the rakes B and 13 now engage theoysters in the bed, and when the operator pulls on the rope L said ropecauses a closing of the arms 0 and G and the rakes B and B, as the saidropeisfastened by its lower end to the arm 0 and passes over the pulleyN on the other arm, 0, and then upward through the eyes 0 and P. Thisclosing movement of the rakes B and B loosens the oysters from the bed,and at the same time the loosened oysters are gathered on thelongitudinal bars B and are held in the basket formed by the saidlongitudinal bars when the rakes B and B are entirely closed. Theoperator now pulls the entire device upward, either by hand or suitablemachinery on the boat, by taking hold of the rope L. When the devicegoes down into the water, as above described, the rudder Q will turn theentire device in the direction of the tide, so that it will be guided onthe oyster-bed. When the entire machine has been hauled up into the boator vessel and the operator desires to empty the rakes B and B of thegathered oysters, he simply turns them on one end, so that the oysterscan fall out of the open ends of the rakes B and B.

In case the points B do not catch and loosen the oysters when the rakesare closed, as above described, by pulling on the rope L, then theoperator pulls on the other rope, J, again, whereby the closed rakes Band B are again opened, as above described, so that the operator canagain close the rakes B and B over the oyster-bed, as above described,until the said points B have loosened the oysters and gathered them inthe basket formed by the rakes.

It will be seen that the device can also be used for gathering sunkenmaterial, wreckage, logs, &c.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. In grapneltongs, the combination, withpivoted arms carrying rakes, of racks secured to the said arms, agear-wheel meshing into the said racks, a drum secured on the shaft ofthe said gear-wheel, a rope wound on the said drum and extending upward,and a second rope fastened by one end to one of the said se -15s arms,then passing over to the other arm, and then extendingupward,substantially as shown and described.

2. In grapnel-tongs, the combination, with pivoted arms carrying rakes,of racks secured extending upward, and a rudder-plate secured to one ofthe said arms, substantially as shown and described.

3. In grapnel-tongs, the combination, with a frame, of two arms pivotedon the said frame and carrying rakes at their free ends, a gearwheelmounted to 'rotate on the said frame, a drum secured on the shaft of thesaid gear- Wheel, a rope wound on the said drum, and racks meshing intothe said gearwheel and secured at opposite ends to the said arms,substantially as shown and described.

4. In grapnel-tongs, the combination, with a frame, of arms pivoted onthe said frame, rakes formed on the lower free ends of the said arms,and a rope secured by one end to one arm, then passing over a pulley onthe other arm,and extending upward through eyes on the said frame,substantially as shown and described.

5. In grapnel-tongs, the combination, with two pivoted arms adapted toswing toward and from each other, of rakes secured to the free ends ofthe said arms and provided with points and longitudinal bars to form abasket, and a rndderplate secured to one of the said arms and extendingat right angles to the said rakes, substantially as shown and described.

THOMAS J. S. DAVIS.

\Vitnesses:

J OHN S. DAVIS, J. W. Sruaens. L

